


Charlotte

by TheHuntress25



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Extramarital Affairs, F/F, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 00:59:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7131656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHuntress25/pseuds/TheHuntress25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlotte Shacklebolt must make a choice between the life that she has settled for and the love that's just out of reach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charlotte

“This never happened, don't you dare say a word.” The bright, crackling flames of the fireplace seemed to blur into mocking faces as Charlotte Shacklebolt felt her eyes welling with tears, her chest aching with each breath. A tremor was spreading from the tips of her fingers and down to the soles of her feet, forcing her to accept that she was truly living this nightmare, “I promised that I wouldn't say a word and I'm sorry that I wasn't able to...to ignore the person that I am.” It felt as if all her strength had been put into the apology but it didn't even begin to ease the guilt that had been plaguing her for the past two months. “I'm sorry that I wasn't able to love you enough,” she whispered softly to the sleeping figure in the armchair, her husband's face set in a sullen frown as he was carried away by unpleasant dreams.  
  
The betrayal that had destroyed the small affection between them was like a wound that they had been unable to heal. Charlotte knew that her husband would never be able to forgive her after this and she wouldn't have been able to stand the thought of putting him through so much pain if she weren't already suffering so badly herself. Ten years of marriage had felt like nothing but torture and despite the love she had for their children, it wasn't the life that she had wanted for herself, “You have no idea how lucky you are.” That was the one thing that she had loathed hearing on her wedding day. It had been like an insult but she had held her tongue, knowing that the child she'd been carrying deserved a loving father, “I'm sorry that you felt like your life ended because of me.”   
  
Ryan Davies had always been a dedicated bachelor and although Charlotte had known him since Hogwarts, they had hardly ever spoken to one another. He had thrived in a completely different world from her own, the sort that included glittering smiles and snide rumors that would have driven her insane. There had been an endless array of charm, wit and genuine kindness about him that had caused many girls to fall head over heels in love but he had vowed never to marry, which surely must have devastated his hopeful mother. Charlotte found it ironic that an impromptu meeting at a Ministry gathering could have had his worse nightmare coming true in the form of too much champagne and not nearly enough common sense, “We barely even knew each other but after that one night, you never treated me like I was undeserving of a smile.”   
  
Charlotte had been amazed by his chivalrous nature and despite the awkward sex that they'd shared at his apartment, there had been no disappointment. Ryan had even apologized to her for being such an idiot, for disrespecting her and she had allowed herself to feel flattered by it. Kingsley Shacklebolt may have been her father but the boys that he had forced on her had never been that courteous and for just a few minutes she had felt truly whole. “I'll never be able to repay you for that smile or give you more but please, don't ever stop being happy just because of me.” To the surprise of nearly everyone, Ryan had continued seeing her afterward but it had only been a month into their relationship when they had discovered she was pregnant. “I tried to be a good wife to you, I really did but we both know that it wasn't what either of us had wanted,”   
  
He had been heir to his father's chain of successful apothecaries while Charlotte had had nothing but reminders of her father's legacy thrown in her face from the moment she had been able to comprehend what Minister of Magic even meant. The Daily Prophet had been like a menacing ghost, following her family's every move and blowing her mistakes out of proportion until she had become more of a menace than her old friend, Victoire Weasley. “Troubled Child Goes Down In London Pub”, the headlines had boasted more than once, causing her mother's blue eyes to well with tears until she had been reduced to a shrunken, hopeless creature.   
  
Melinda Shacklebolt's pale skin and dark brown hair had lost all vibrancy over the years and she had abandoned all faith in her youngest daughter. Charlotte could barely remember her mother's face without seeing the tears and it had taken a long time for her to even step into their old home without feeling the shame being tossed back ten fold, “Everyone knows that I'm not the best daughter or sister either.” Her voice turned heavy with pain as she watched her husband fall deeper into his troubled, twisting dreams. Ryan's brows were knitted together as if he could hear every word, taste each tear that slid down her cheeks, “I can't ignore the mistakes that I've made.” There were so many, too many to name. “If we ever see each other again, I know that you won't be able to look at me and I wouldn't blame you,”  
  
Charlotte hadn't been able to even look at her father, knowing that the severe man who governed the country would crumble like any other mortal in front of his estranged daughter. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a hard faced, heavy built black man with an endless array of smiles but they had all been chipped away with disappointment, “You embarrass me.” He had said gruffly the last time she had bothered to show up for a family gathering, her brown skin still flushed from a night of drinking. Her brother and sisters had merely turned away from her in disgust as she'd slurred some hateful response, their mother seated as far away from her as she could get, “you embarrass yourself.” The entire future of the Wizarding world had depended on her following in his footsteps but she had left that duty to her older brother, who had been more than eager to please him.   
  
There had always been something restless about her that she could never name until recently and she knew that her father would never approve. Charlotte had managed to clean herself up but the damage was done and there was no way that she could have eased away that hurt, “I've embarrassed my father and myself for too long. I thought that leaving and making a fresh start would be better for me,” working in the Department of Magical Artifacts had always been dull work and she'd itched for adventure. For something. If she had never allowed Victoire to talk her into going to that stupid Ministry party, she never would have gotten foxed enough to hit on Ryan in the first place or be bold enough to sleep with him. Mistake. Of course, to some degree, it had been but the child that she had been given would always be a blessing, “we might not have worked but I have never regretted our kids.”  
  
Charlotte loved her children deeply but wanted to help troubled students elsewhere and had been intending on moving to France to teach at Beaxbatons. The school was apparently in desperate need of a guidance counselor for a few of their more eccentric students but she had pushed that wonderful dream aside when she had gotten married and settled for this life, “They're the best things that could have ever happened to me and you're the best father that anyone could have ever hoped for.” Their years together had passed by quickly but her heart had felt broken, tattered and crushed no matter how hard she had tried to leave her desires behind, “I'm...I'm sorry, Ryan.” How could she even say something like that after everything she had put him through? “We both know that you deserve to smile for someone better than me,” she said thickly.   
  
Their marriage had fallen apart in the past few months but had been dead for more than five years, their smiles only crafted for their two children. Charlotte knew that it was wrong for her to leave them and find happiness with another person but she had simply grown tired of merely existing. She wanted to live, “Avery and Katherine have the greatest father in the world so I know that you'll...you'll take care of them far better than I could.” The most difficult thing about leaving was that she might not ever see them again and she had sobbed for hours before finally mustering up the courage to whisper soft goodbyes to their sleeping forms, “t-they need you so much more than me.”   
  
Ryan stirred tensely as if he could hear her pitiful words, the short locks of his black hair sticking up from running his fingers through them in frustration. There was no denying that even in sleep, he was sill classically handsome, his brown skin appearing to glow from the firelight like molten gold and Charlotte barely noticed the imperfections. They had been married for so long that she knew each and every flaw but felt no attachment towards him...Ryan was a strong, capable man and should have been easy to love but she had found it to be nothing but a chore. But Charlotte had always admired how well he treated her and despite how wild she had been in her youth, he hadn't judged her and simply accepted her mistakes, loving her without scorn.  
  
Charlotte would usually comment on this when she was feeling particularly loathsome but Ryan always gave the credit to his mother, Cho Chang. The woman had raised him mostly on her own and had wanted him to be like a valiant prince, “Without her, I'd be a complete waste of a man and she raised me to have the utmost respect for women and myself. It's a shame my father never accepted that I was my own person.” He had said to her once after they had fooled around in bed. Charlotte had been restless, unsatisfied and bored but her husband had found her lack of response to be more of a challenge...he had found it fun then.   
  
“I'm sure your father loves you,” Charlotte had insisted worriedly as she'd watched him toy with a lock of her thick brown hair, his eyes narrowed with troubling thoughts. Ryan had been the most trusting, caring person during the first few years of their marriage and even as she had admired that about him, it was one of the first things that she had destroyed, “...maybe he was just bitter after the divorce.” Cho had been granted full custody when he had still been a little boy and his father had never been able to move past that. But Roger Davies was a hopeless drunk, using alcohol to cope with the horrors he had seen during the Battle of Hogwarts to find peace, “now that you're going to inherit everything, your father might come around.”   
  
Ryan had seemed to mull her words over for a few minutes and he'd given her a careless smile that had emphasized the dimples in his cheeks. Charlotte had traced them gently with her fingertips, confused on how she could find something so endearing about a person she didn't love, “He didn't even show up at our wedding but Mum said that it might have been for the best.” There had been a heavy note of sadness in his voice. A silence had fallen between them after a few minutes, her fingertips tracing the curve of his jaw until the emotion had passed, “I know that he didn't agree but no kid of mine is going to grow up without having their father around.” His hand had reached beneath the sheet to touch her rounded belly tenderly, his eyes warming.  
  
Charlotte's father had been a bit outraged but he had merely given a stiff nod at the news, her mother remaining silent beside him. They had made an odd pair that day, like two statues that were forcing each other to live, “My dad was never really there for me but he didn't want me to saddle myself with someone the way he did and not be happy.” Ryan had admitted after a moment, the only sign of doubt entering his eyes for just a moment before it had quickly vanished,“things might be different now but I wasn't going to let you raise a child all on your own. I'm pretty sure your dad would have killed me,”   
  
She had tried to laugh but his hand had been doing wicked things, things that had never been able to make her spirit soar. Pretending...that was the second time that she had pretended that night but she allowed the memory to fade away as she observed her husband, “You're not a bad man, Ryan. I'm just not the woman that you should have been with and I hope you find her, I really hope that you find this girl and forget about me.” A small glass of firewhiskey had slipped from his hand and fallen to the floor, the amber liquid spreading like blood across their expensive rug—should she clean that? Her husband would expect nothing less of his soft-spoken, dutiful wife and Charlotte had to physically stop herself from withdrawing her wand and cleaning up the mess.   
  
Although it had been impossible for her to love Ryan, she had fiercely tried to mold herself into being the kind of wife that he truly deserved. But the effort had slowly killed her on the inside and she hadn't been able to stand herself, “Neither of us thought that we would even last.” The Daily Prophet had jeered that they wouldn't last a year. None of her siblings had even bothered to attend the wedding or offer their congratulations and she was eternally grateful that Victoire had helped her through the ordeal, never turning her back when it had gotten too hard. “I hope that they weren't all that bad,” she whispered throatily, knowing that she was only hurting herself by ignoring the truth. “I hope that ten years was enough.”  
  
Ten years of lying.   
  
Ten years of nothing.   
  
Charlotte knew that there was no hope in bringing them back together and heaved a weary sigh before wiping at her streaming eyes. It was all her fault that things had gotten so bad between them and the guilt rushed up with enough force to make the room spin, “...I never meant to fall in love with someone else and cheat on you.” The words flew from her lips on a soft sob of grief and she had to cover her mouth to hold in the sounds, fearing that she would wake the children. If either of them came downstairs and saw the suitcases by the door and her traveling clothes, there would be questions and she would never be able to leave them, “I-I can't imagine how this must be for you—how much you must hate me now.” Ryan stirred in his sleep, firelight continuing to bathe him in a soothing glow that left her feeling cold and heartless, “we haven't been able to even look at one another without having...having that day between us.”  
  
That fateful day had occurred over two months ago but Charlotte could still remember every harsh word that had been said between them, all the tears that he'd shed. The affair had started completely without warning with one of her co-workers, they had always allowed themselves to be friendly and with the Department of Magical Artifacts being so dull, there was very little entertainment. There were only a handful of people working in their department and she knew that it wasn't the sort of place in the Ministry that anyone would have willingly chose. It was the place where hope died. Old Mr. Weasley was far more interested in useless Muggle junk but would stop by occasionally to show them this or that, proclaiming that they would be much better off in his department than ruining their eyes on cracked parchment.   
  
Dusty shelves, mountains of endless paperwork and old, ancient tomes were smothering and Charlotte had thought of quitting more than once. The thought was very tempting but she knew that Ryan would have found some fault with the decision, even though they had plenty of money from his family's apothecaries. Their marriage had fallen apart, making the brief escape something like a reprieve and If Charlotte had quit, Ryan would have wanted to know why and wouldn't have been in the mood to see her “moping” around the house. “At least pretend you're happy.” He had said to her one night.   
  
The thought of facing his criticism had frightened her a little so she had gone through each and every monotonous day with as much determination as she could. Charlotte's misery had deepened to such a degree that it had been difficult rolling out of bed but just when things had become unbearable did her life change unexpectedly, “I didn't think that I would even be able to fall in love with someone. It had never happened before and certainly not like this...” she said in a cracked voice to her husband's sleeping figure. “We were just friends for a while,” there weren't many co-workers willing to work the night shift besides the two of them and as they'd filed away a few scrolls of parchment, they quickly discovered that they had one thing in common—they hated their job.   
  
Charlotte had quickly found herself laughing again, their humorous conversations breathing a bit of happiness into the frozen place of her heart. The night shift was slow, torturous work and organizing old records in complete silence had quickly grown tiring so the pair had cautiously began to talk about other things, their friendship slowly taking shape. Amazed, Charlotte had found herself becoming excited to see those dusty shelves and see Sam Finnegan, their light conversations leading to more complicated ones as the evenings had passed, “I never thought any of this would happen.” Her voice cracked slightly as she looked away from her husband, unable to look at him. “I never did any of this to hurt you.”  
  
The relationship that she had with Ryan was drastically different from the one that had blossomed so easily with the person who held her heart. When their work was finished, Charlotte would find herself nestled comfortably with Sam, a cup of hot chocolate or tea cradled in her hands, “...I never meant for any of this to happen. I never thought it could, not to someone like me.” The truth was like an antidote to all the pain that she had inflicted upon herself and the ones she loved, knowing that it never would have been possible without this new love. They had spent hours talking, reflecting on their lives and mistakes. It had been the first time since Victoire that someone had even bothered to really listen to her and even understand, “that empty place that I've always had was swallowed up by the one person that I've always needed.”  
  
Charlotte had poured her heart out during those lunch breaks and had felt something come to life in her that should have been dead from all the countless neglect that she'd put it through. A curious need had started to unfurl itself as the months had passed, her dreams becoming thick with passionate kisses and embraces that had never once included her husband, “I should have ended things between us once I started to want more.” Their nightly talks had ventured out of the Ministry almost without either of them knowing, until they were spending hours upon hours simply talking...walking through the park and experiencing the joy of real happiness. Charlotte had been confused by her attraction at first, a bit afraid that she was being foolish but the lingering glances, warm touches and hopeful smiles from Sam had fueled her with longing.   
  
“I wanted to end things but I couldn't. I...I didn't want to,” Charlotte admitted around a sob, her tears nearly blinding her vision. Ryan had noticed the drastic change in her and had been both surprised and a little wary, though he hadn't been able to pinpoint what might have shifted, he'd started to allow himself to try loving her again. If only he had known that it wasn't him that was opening her up. It wasn't his smile or his arms that she had craved. The kisses he gave her were nothing but the punctuation at the end of a withered life, “y-you were suspicious when I kept staying late after work but I was too selfish.” It had been wrong of her on both ends, using them both to make herself feel secure, “you won't understand...I don't expect you to after everything that's happened but...but...I had never been so happy.”  
  
The emotions that she had began to feel were too strong to ignore and one night, as they'd wandered through the park, it had become far too difficult. Charlotte had forced Sam to stop walking and look at her for the first time and had seen nothing but compassion and a longing that was so powerful that it still had the power to rob her of speech, “I-I knew that I was doing something wrong and I knew that if we kept seeing each other that I'd lose my life with you. That..that I might not ever be able to see my kids again.” Her voice was sluggish and thick with pain but she forced herself to keep talking, praying that Ryan would remain asleep. It would be impossible to face the hate and hurt in his eyes, she was too much of a coward, “I told Sam how I was feeling but it turned out that I wasn't the only one who was afraid to say goodbye.”  
  
Charlotte had been unable to breathe as Sam had closed the space between them, unwilling to let their nights come to an end. It was the first time that she had known that the feelings that had been tormenting her lately hadn't been one-sided and allowed herself to be kissed. One kiss, two kisses, three kisses...endlessly delightful and more than anything she could have ever hoped for, “...I can't give anymore excuses about what I've done but I know in my heart that Sam is the person that I need to be with.” But choosing Sam would force her to leave this life behind and she knew that her children would grow to hate her as well, “that day when you caught us was about as awful as I'd imagined but somehow...worse.”  
  
Ryan's suspicions had led him to check up on Charlotte unexpectedly one evening as she and Sam had finished up the last of their work for the night. It had been a few weeks after things had truly changed between them and their relationship had flourished so powerfully that neither of them had been able to stand still, stealing kisses nearly every second. The Department of Magical Artifacts was their place and with just the two of them, they had forgotten about the entire world but it had all backfired that night— “...I'll never forget the look on your face when you caught us.” Charlotte had been complaining about the lack of sugar for her tea when Sam had began to shower her with kisses, whispering in between each one that she was far sweeter than sugar or honey. “I've never been so afraid before and I'll never forgive myself.”  
  
Things had flared between them so quickly that her mind had went numb with pleasure and she'd lost herself to every kiss and caress. The sound of the door opening...footsteps...it all felt like something from another person's life but Charlotte would never be able to forget the harsh shout that had come from her husband's lips, “I hurt you so badly for so long that you deserved to hurt me.” What happened next had been so violent that it had been a miracle no one was injured but Ryan had torn them apart with frightening force, barely giving either of them a chance to gasp for breath, “...that look in your eyes will always haunt me though. I can hardly imagine the pain that went through you knowing that I was having an affair with another woman,” the expression on his face had been so awful that Charlotte had nearly fainted.  
  
Words had been tossed back and forth between them...ugly, nasty words that made her feel like the scum of the earth. Charlotte had been so shaken that she'd allowed herself to collapse, panting for breath and staring up at her husband through watery eyes, “Don't you dare sit there and cry! What the hell have you done?!” Ryan had roared, ignoring Sam altogether. The anger had been directed at her alone and she had felt each blow like a thunderbolt, “I knew that this would happen eventually but to cheat on me...with a woman...” his voice had been too gruff to really understand after that and he'd bowed his head, too furious to continue. “Lottie, you were doing so well, I thought it was me.” He had whispered thickly, his shoulders shaking, “...I thought it was me.”  
  
“Ryan—” Charlotte had tried to say.  
  
Sam had bent to help her up, though there had been a look of guilt in her eyes as well that was nearly enough to eat away at the few flecks of her dignity. Could a woman like her have dignity? “Clean yourself up and be ready to go in five minutes.” Ryan had interrupted fiercely, his voice chilling. Sam had opened her mouth to defend her but he had shot her a look of loathing...it was obvious that he was too far gone to even accept that she was alive, “I don't care what you mean to her but this is my wife! I don't want to hear anything about this and if you have any respect for my children and your job you will keep your mouth shut.”  
  
“I love her,” Sam had retorted fiercely.   
  
“I won't let you have her,” Ryan had snarled, fists clenched.  
  
Sam was tall and rather thin, her round face too angelic to ever bring a bout of fear into anyone but Charlotte had felt her strength. The situation had been terrible for the three of them but the love that she had seen in her green eyes had been nearly too much to bear, “She's already mine.” The woman had declared, keeping a firm arm around her shoulders. There had been a noticeable catch in her voice that had caused Ryan's upper lip to curl, though his eyes were red with tears, “I love her and nothing you say is going to change that.” She had bowed her head slightly and the locks of her red hair had tickled Charlotte's cheek, softer than silk, “...I'm as much to blame as Lottie. I knew that she was married...that she had children but I was too selfish. I've never loved...”  
  
“Enough!” Ryan had shouted, his voice echoing around them like thunder. Charlotte had flinched visibly, unable to look at him, the kindest person that she had ever known, “You have no idea what this means...for my family...for myself! You have no right to love her.” Sam had dared to say something more but his face had collapsed with grief. It was the most awful sight in the world and she had heard his heart shatter into a million pieces, knowing that whatever love he'd had was gone, “I don't care who you are or what feelings you two might have for one another,” he had appeared sickened as he'd glared at his wife. “This never happened, don't you dare say a word.” He had threatened viciously, red-faced and grief stricken before he had stomped away.   
  
The tears were flowing so heavily that Charlotte's vision blurred and the memories were nearly too agonizing to dwell on. Sam hadn't wanted her to go back home but had painfully understood that their little world had been torn apart, “...When we got home, it was the first time that we'd actually sat and talked in a very long time.” That night had been the worst that she had ever experienced but Ryan hadn't been sympathetic or kind, demanding to know everything. Charlotte had revealed a side of herself that she had only just discovered, a need that had finally been understood and her husband had merely sat there, staring at her as if he wanted to fade away, “any other man would have tossed me out after that but you wanted to make things work.” Ryan had refused to accept defeat, “you wanted me to forget about Sam altogether...”   
  
Ryan had been unable to look at her afterwards and had gotten into the habit of sleeping elsewhere, though Charlotte wasn't sure where or with whom. This life had run its course. Neither of their families were able to tolerate her betrayal and she was certain that none of her siblings or parents would ever speak to her again, “I'll never be able to forget Sam or how much I love her.” She whispered thickly, watching as Ryan shifted fitfully in his dreams. The sight touched her somehow and she wandered quietly over to him after picking up a small blanket from the sofa, “being away from her for these past two months has been the hardest thing that I've ever done....until now.” Her voice was soft as she draped it over his shoulders, relieved to see the tension leave his face.   
  
Charlotte had felt as if something had been severed but Ryan had desperately persuaded her into ignoring her “desires”, saying that it would be better for the children. They were the only things that had kept her alive and she had tried to put her life back in order, though it had proved impossible when Sam was the only one that she wanted, “I can't give you the life that you want, Ryan.” There was no way that she could heal the pain that her actions had caused.   
  
Charlotte knew that no one would find her brave, she was a hopeless coward for sneaking away in the middle of the night like this, abandoning their children. Was true happiness worth causing this much pain? That was an answer that she couldn't quite answer and although she had promised Ryan that she wouldn't contact Sam, not speaking to her had been unbearable, “I-I'm so sorry.” The words held as much truth as she could muster without sounding completely selfish, she had sent Sam an owl a few days ago and neither of them wanted to face the torment of being separated again, “I can't force myself to change for you or anyone else,” there had been so many pointless therapy sessions to “cure” her these past two months.  
  
There was nothing to cure and Charlotte hesitated for just a second as she stared down at her husband's familiar face, her heart lurching with regret. Ryan's eyes were swollen, even in sleep and she reached out to trace the curve of his mouth, hunting for dimples that she'd never see again, “...You said that you had thought I would stray from you eventually but you stayed with me all this time, knowing that I could never really love you.” Those were the words that haunted her the most as she had secretly started to plan a new life with Sam, nearly causing her to rethink their plans. They would be living together for a few months until the divorce went through and then moving to France, “why would you love someone like me?”   
  
The fact that they had wasted so many years together only made her betrayal all the more powerful and Charlotte couldn't help but pull away from him. Ryan must have taken all the pretending and lying for real love and she felt something in her twist and slip away, her horror at the realization nearly too profound for words, “...You thought it was real for a long time.” Even when she didn't respond to him or share his passion, he had still believed that they were happy together but it had slowly dimmed the more she had drifted away. Hope. That was the one thing that he had had left and she had tossed it cruelly back in his face, “nothing...nothing I say is going to make this any easier,” it was strange how finally saying goodbye was the most difficult thing and she allowed herself to watch him sleep, wishing him joy.  
  
The minutes ticked slowly by until Charlotte had managed to wipe away the rest of her tears and whisper all of her hopes into her husband's ear, the tremors in her fingertips finally gone. Carefully, she reached into her cloak and withdrew the thick letter she had written the night before, “...I'm not sure if you'll even read this. I shouldn't have taken this long to really talk to you, I can't even imagine what you're feeling or how horrible tomorrow morning will be for you, knowing that I'm gone.” The rubbish bin had been near to overflowing with useless scraps of parchment but she had finally managed to put all of her emotions down. It had taken a very long time but the emotions that had been bottled up for so long had been unleashed with such ferocity that her quill had nearly snapped in two, her fingers sore and throbbing.   
  
Hours had ticked by until five pages were meticulously filled, her tears marking each one. Charlotte tenderly curled his stiff fingers around the letter, brushed a few stray locks of hair from his forehead and kissed him there, relieving his troubled heart. The strength slowly returned to her limbs and she walked away from him quietly, grabbed her suitcases and opened the door....determined to take the first step to the life that she wanted. Happiness was such a fickle, fleeting thing but she dared to reach out and make it her own, “I'll never be able to live up to the woman that you need but I've found the person that I can't be without.” A cool evening breeze caressed her cheeks as she stepped out of her home and onto the street, I hope the love you're given is returned in every smile, Charlotte thought with all her might before vanishing into darkness, out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this! I may not venture into this territory again but it was an interesting experience for me when it comes to affairs. Let me know what you thought!


End file.
